Mediation Mastery - Do You Have This?
 from "Mediation Marketing Tips" by Kristina Haymes

Many different traits characterize master mediators. For example, characteristics such as patience, creativity, perseverance are often cited – but there’s one characteristic that consistently tops the list of both clients and mediators as being a key ingredient to success…

Integrity

Without integrity at all levels of your practice your marketing and practice building efforts are doomed to fail.  Integrity as a mediator at its core means saying what you mean and meaning what you say; doing what you say and doing what you say you will do. In essence it is about keeping your word. Author, John C. Maxwell writes in his book Developing the Leader Within You that developing integrity requires self-discipline, inner trust and a decision to be relentlessly honest in all situations in one’s life.  As a mediator, if you state that you will maintain something in confidence, you maintain the confidence. Unless you have sought and been given permission to disclose the privileged information.

Jeff Kichaven, in our recent bonus interview, indicated that integrity was the most important quality cited by the 50 attorneys he interviewed regarding what they look for in mediators.  Having integrity is a key ingredient to not only successfully market your practice but also to build it. A key ingredient for success in both endeavors is to build trust. As a mediator you must build trust with the parties and lawyers in order for you to effectively facilitate a resolution. As a marketer you must build trust with your potential clients in order for them to be inclined to hire you.

John Maxwell indicates that integrity builds trust and it has "high influence value." Integrity also results in a solid reputation. Over time your marketing will become easier as your reputation in the community you choose to work in develops.

Integrity is a key to success

Have you decided to be a person of integrity? Have you decided to mean what you say and say what you mean? To do what you say and to do what you say you are going to do? Do you keep your word?

Decide today. Become a person of integrity.

NEVER GIVE UP!

Your partner in peace,

Kristina Haymes

About The Author

In addition to running her own full-time mediation practice, Kristina Haymes, MA, JD, coaches other mediators on how to build the practice of their dreams. She formed the Mediation Marketing Institute to empower, equip and inspire mediators worldwide to make a substantial living at their peacemaking work. Her blog "Mediation Marketing Tips" can be found at http://mediationmarketingtips.com/blog/.

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